


Escape

by WinnieThePooh89



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dark, Deviates From Canon, F/M, Flashbacks, Murder, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2019-01-23
Packaged: 2019-06-07 11:42:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 17,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15218411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinnieThePooh89/pseuds/WinnieThePooh89
Summary: The shink of blades sends a chill down his spine.This is it. It's all over.He has heard the stories. He just didn't think he would be part of one of them.The only thing he can see is the darkness of the night, and then nothing.All rights belong to Dreamworks, Cressida Cowell, and Marvel. (I know, Im not original.)





	1. Chapter 1

The darkness was ominous. It sent all presence of life running away. But even through the deafening silence, ragged breaths were echoing throughtout the forest.

As his heart pounds, he continues to run. He doesn't dare look behind him, knowing that if he does his fight is over. He can't hear the uneven footsteps behind him over the pounding in his ears. His chest tightens in fear. He tries to move faster, but his feet won't respond. 

He can's stop now.

He doesn't know how long he has been running for. He just knows that this isn't the night that he will die. That is until he feels a blistering pain shoot up his lower leg. He yells out in pain, an falls to the ground. He looks at his leg and sees a throwing kinfe sticking out of his calf. 

He takes a deep breath. This isn't the end. Knowing that running away can't save him now, he knows that his last chance of survival is to crawl. It may not be the fastest way back to the village, but he has no other choice. He knows that if he tries to hide, his chaser will find him before he is concealed in the darkness. Even if he was able to hide, he will bleed out before his chaser was far enough away for him to make it back to the village, considering that neither of them are giving up thier fight.

Knowing that he is running out of time, he starts crawling, trying to keep as much weight off his leg as possible. 

The shink of blades sends a chill down his spine.

This is it. It's all over.

He has heard the stories. He just didn't think he would be part of one of them.     

The only thing he can see is the darkness of the night, and then nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "C-chief... me-meeting.. A c-cheif meeting." He huffs out when he can finally get air into his lungs. He then stands up straight, still looking winded.
> 
> "What?" The four say simultaneously. 
> 
> "The chief is scheduling a meeting with the the chiefs in our alliance." Fishlegs informs them, a scared look on his face.

Stoick sighs when he finishes reading the letter. Feeling an oncoming headache approaching, Stoick rubs his forehead. 

"What is it this time?" Stoick looks up when he hears his friend, seeing him standing before him in the vacant Great Hall. Not saying anything, Stoick slides Gobber the letter that arrived earlier that morning. Stoick watches at Gobber reads the letter, his facial expressions not changing. 

Finally, when he reaches the end, Gobber looks pale and puts the letter on the table. "He is dead."

Stoick nods. "Yea. Still no other word as to who killed him." Staring off into the distance Stoick continues on, "what am I supposed to do Gobber?"

"I understand why you don't want to go out searchin'," Gobber starts as he walks around the table to sit in the seat next to Stoick, "not after what happened five years ago, but you can't let that stop you from what needs to be done."

"I can't send people out looking for that man. It would be another suicide mission." Stoicks says regretfully, although, he knows his argument is weak. Gobber is right, he can't let past events effect his duties as a chief. He has to protect his people. And sitting idly on Berk, fearing what'll happen if he sends out a search party will get more people killed. "However, I do see your point."

"Good, because I already sent out letters to the surrounding islands for a chiefs meeting. They should be here in about a week." Gobber says, standing up from his seat, a smirk on his face. Though it disappears when he turns back to Stoick. "Oh and Stoick," he says, his tone turned somber. Stoick looks up at Gobber.

"I miss him too."

\-----00-----

Snolout is thrown to the ground, landing on his stomach. Astrid has her boot pressing on his back and his left arm being pulled back. 

"Ow, ow, ow. Ok, ok, I give. Now let me up." Snotlout whines from the sharp pain in his shoulder. When Astrid releases him, the two snickering twins laugh at his misfortune and failure.

"Your form is weak. You keep getting distracted. You can't let your opponent distract you or you will be killed." Astrid tells him in a firm voice. 

"I wasn't distracted!" Snotlout snaps, crossing his arms defensively, "I just wasn't ready..." He adds in a slightly quieter tone. At that, the twins start cackling. 

"Yea, you weren't ready to get your ass handed to you." Tuffnut laughs. He doesn't notice the two glares that are sent his way.

"It doesn't matter. When you are in the middle of a battle, you always have to be ready. You can't let your guard down." Astrid states when it seems that they won't get the twins to shut up. "Now, lets start again." Astrid gets back into stance, but Snotlout shifts nervously.

"Uhhh... Can't we take a break?" Though from the glare that is sent his way, he knows that he won't be getting a break anytime soon.

That is until Fishlegs comes barreling into the arena, with Meatlug not far behind. His face red from exhaustion. When he stops in front of Astrid and Snotlout, he bends over, hands on his knees as he tries to catch his breath. Snotlout lets out a breath of relief when Astrid turns her attention to Fishlegs.

"Fishlegs, what is it?" Astrid asks, confused as to what would make Fishlegs run all this way to the arena. The only reason why Astrid and Snotlout are there is because Astrid needed someone to train with. So she got Snotlout to train thus which lead to the twins wanting to watch as Astrid throw Snotlout to the ground repetitively.

"C-chief... me-meeting.. A c-cheif meeting." He huffs out when he can finally get air into his lungs. He then stands up straight, still looking winded.

"What?" The four say simultaneously. 

"The chief is scheduling a meeting with the the chiefs in our alliance." Fishlegs informs them, a scared look on his face.

"Wh-what? Why?" Snotlout asks, moving quickly up to Fishlegs. 

"A few nights ago, a chief of an island, a few days trip, was killed in the middle of the night." Fishlegs tells them, his face turning white. Nobody says anything as they wait for him to continue. "That chief was planning on joining our alliance. However, before they could start their trip here, he was assassinated."

"Wait, how did you hear this?" Astrid says, giving a look at Fishlegs though without much meaning to it considering the circumstances. 

He then looks sheepish, looking away from the group. "I may or may not spend my free time looking into some things."

"When are the chiefs supposed to get here?" Astrid asks Fishlegs, not going to try to get him to tell her anything else, for she doesn't want any part of that.

"In a few days."

"And what exactly are they going to talk about in the 'meeting'?" Ruffnut asks, putting emphasis with air quotes.

"Chief Stoick plans on setting up a search party with the other villages."

All goes quiet as the teens process these words, knowing nothing good will come out of this.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Mission report." The chief demands.
> 
> "Mission successful. " The man says in a monotone voice.
> 
> "You slaked off. He almost got away. And you would've been compromised." The man doesn't put up a fight, knowing the repercussions will be worse. And besides, that kind of fight was beaten out of him years ago.

A secret base lies days away from any habitable islands. To the people who know of this island, nothing lives on it. It is said that it's secrets are too dark for those who live in the light. 

However, on the south part of the island, there is a passage in the trees. A passage that leads to the beginning of the secrets the island holds. But one must be brave enough to uncover those secrets. 

A figure of the night walks through the passage, a stance held in a threatening manner. A man only known by his reputation. He works in the night, eliminating those who pose a threat. 

Farther down the passage under the dirt, a side passage opens up, leading down to a room, that holds the darkest parts of the night. But the man continues forward, following his orders that he was given days before. He knows perfectly well what'll happen if his disobeys his orders. But he doesn't feel the pain anymore. Or at least, that is what they want him to do. To be invulnerable. 

Pain is weakness. Emotions lead to one's end.

"Mission report." The chief demands. He's an averaged height man, but with a muscular build. Hair as black as the night sky, and a trim beard and mustache. His eyes are cold and menacing. 

"Mission successful. " The man says in a monotone voice. 

"You slaked off. He almost got away. And you would've been compromised." The man doesn't put up a fight, knowing the repercussions will be worse. And besides, that kind of fight was beaten out of him years ago. 

"Understood."

The chief looks over to the commander. "Prep the east room." The chief says, "You determine his punishment. I have plans I need to sort out." With one final look to the masked man, the chief exits the room.

\-----00----- 

A rope is tied around his wrists, tying the other end to a hook on the ceiling. The crack of a whip would've sent chills down an average persons' spine.  But the man knew what was coming. He always knows when it is coming. It always hurts, but he was taught to ignore the pain. He isn't supposed to feel pain. He is their weapon, and to be a successful weapon, you can't be weak.

The pain from the first slash fades just as fast as when the whip came. Same goes as the rest. But stinging never really fades. Though he still doesn't make a sound. He isn't supposed to. That's a sign of weakness. He can't be weak, not at a time like this. 

Finally, the whipping comes to a stop. But his hands stay tied above his head. He knows what is coming next. This part is harder, though it isn't impossible.

So when his mouth is forced open, he braces for the pain. When it comes, it feels as if fire was ignited in his veins, spreading throughout his body instantly. The man muffles his sounds as best as he can, but it is futile. He yells out in agony. 

Before he blacks out, a banging sound is heard throughout the caves, signalling his cries weren't unheard even in the deepest parts of his prison.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As they make their way to the shore above land, the masked man processes his mission again. The name Dagur sounds familiar. Probably because of the man's reputation. From what he has gathered from his first mission when the chief told him about all of the current chiefs in the Archipelago, the chief of the Berserker island, he really is Deranged. He was told that he killed his own father because he disagreed with how he was running the island. He has also heard that he has mellowed down some. But only because he realized he had a sister.

He doesn't know how long he has been here. All he knows is that this has been his life, and nothing else. He can't remember any of his past. The only thing they told his was that he was a weapon. And weapons aren't supposed to be weak. If he shows weakness, they punish him. But he deserves it because he didn't follow orders. Though sometimes, he feels empty. He knows something is missing. Although, he can't put his finger on it. He has these days where he feels more than he is supposed to. He doesn't ever tell the chief about it. That'll just result in another punishment.

When he has those days, he trains more than usual. It keeps his mind busy. And today just so happens to be one of those days. He is fighting with one of the chief's men. The masked man has far more experience than his opponent so he goes down easily. He starts to get back up but before he can get on his feet, a swift kick is delivered to his ribs. He collapses on the ground again, wheezing.

The masked man straightens up his stance, sensing his victory.

"Quit fooling around. I need you in Section C." He hears the commander demand from behind him. He turns around and walks out of the training room, the commander following close behind him.

When they get to Section C, the chief is there already waiting for him. The masked man notes a box laying on top of the chief's table. It has strange layers inside. However, the box doesn't concern him at the moment. He turns his attention to the chief. "I have a new mission for you," he starts, "his name is Dagur the Deranged. He is an ally to the Hooligan Tribe. They agreed on a Peace Treaty not too long ago. You will go to Beserker island and you will take out Dagur. If he is aligning himself with Berk, then he is posing as a threat to us. Questions?"

Knowing that he is given permission to speak, the man asks, "How will I know where he will be?" The chief leads him over to a map that lays on the chief's desk. He beckons the man to take a closer look. He doesn't recognize the island that is drawn on the map, but considering his mission, he assumes that it is Berserker island.

"I sent out one of my men a few days ago to make sure this map was up-to-date. Do you know which island this is?" The chief asks, even though he knows the answer already.

"Yes chief." The masked man replies in his monotone voice.

"Good." He points to a shape on the map. Inside the shape, the words "Great Hall" are written in bold yet sloppy handwriting. It must've been the commander that was sent out then. "We had scouts track his movements for weeks, he has meetings all day in here. I think you are smart enough to know that going after him during that time is foolish. In the evening, he trains alone." The chief points to another shape on the map. It's on the other side of the village. "He finishes training when the sun sets. He then makes his way back to his home. That'll be your golden opportunity to take him out. He will definitely still be armed, but that shouldn't be a problem for you. Is your mission clear?"

"Yes chief."

"Good. You are to leave at once. Dismissed." The chief walks out of the room, leaving himself and the commander.

"Let's go." The commander says. As they make their way to the shore above land, the masked man processes his mission again. The name Dagur sounds familiar. Probably because of the man's reputation. From what he has gathered from his first mission when the chief told him about all of the current chiefs in the Archipelago, the chief of the Berserker island, he really is Deranged. He was told that he killed his own father because he disagreed with how he was running the island. He has also heard that he has mellowed down some. But only because he realized he had a sister.

He can't remember her name, but Dagur cares a lot about her.

The trip to Berserker island is five days time from the base. However, that is by boat. The chief wants this mission down quickly, so the commander arranged his trip to be by dragon, which cuts the time in half.

He isn't scariness certain as to how people are at peace with dragons. He was never told. But the base holds quite a few dragons. He isn't allowed to see them. Although, he never really had any intention to go down there. He knows the consequences if he does.

Berserker island is a very rocky and bare island. The island holds a very tall mountain in the center. He lands the purple Deadly Nadder in the trees that surround the center mountain. He needs to go as unnoticed as possible. Knowing that killing the chief in broad daylight will end up with him getting captured, the masked man sets up camp and waits until nightfall. He spends his time sharpening his throwing knives and swords.

When night falls, he starts making his way to the arena, staying hidden in the dark. He makes his way to the tree line. He spots the arena not too far away. He goes to get closer when h hears someone whistling. He blends back into the trees when he sees a person coming around the corner. The torch they hold shows that it the the chief, Dagur.

The chief isn't what he pictured him to look like. He looks rather young and is fairly skinny for a viking. From his vantage point, he sees that Dagur has three claw marks over his left eye. It doesn't look like a scar, more like a tattoo. Something about this man is familiar.

He starts going for one of his throwing knives when Dagur stops walking. He puts the torch in the holder on the outside of the arena wall. A grin makes it's way across his face.

"You can stop hiding in the bushes. I know you are out there." Dagur cackles. The masked man doesn't move. He also doesn't throw his knife. However, his grip on the handle tightens. The grin on Dagur's face doesn't waver. He turns to the direction of the tree line. It's almost like he can see where his assassin is hiding.

"You think I didn't know were coming? Your scouts weren't very well hidden. Why don't you stop fooling around and come out and face me. We can work this out."

He could just throw the knife and end it. End his life. But he doesn't. He doesn't throw his knife. He can almost hear the chief yelling at him for being so imbecile. The man stands up straight and makes comes out from the trees. His appearance makes Dagur laugh even harder.

"That's right. Now, why don't we end this right here. Right now." Dagur says, taking the sword that is tied to his hip. He gets into stance.

The man exchanges his throwing knives for his dual swords. He readies his stance, keeping a trained eye on Dagur. The assassin watches carefully for his first move. Dagur charges at the assassin, swiping diagonally. The man sidesteps it. He slashes back at Dagur, cutting him on the shoulder.

The chief stumbles back, but he is quick to retaliate. He rushes at the man, swiping at him ferociously. The masked man blocks most of his attacks, a few he wasn't quick enough to block or avoid. Though when Dagur advances on him again, he swipes at one of his swords, knocking it out of his hand. Sensing that his assassin is caught off guard, he swipes one final time. Though the man jumps back, it doesn't miss.

It cuts through the mask on his face, leaving him bare to the chief. Dagur looks at him confused. He has heard the stories about this man. He wasn't surprised that he planned an attack on him. Though he knows nobody was able to see his face. Now that he has, everything clicks into place.

Fierce, vibrant green eyes, glare at him. However, one of the assassin's eyes is a bit cloudier than the other. He know who those eyes belong to. But what stands out to him more is the scar that covers the right side of his face. It rides down his neck and Dagur has no doubt in his mind that it extends beyond what he can see. He also just takes note of his leg. His dark clothes hid it well, but now that they stopped fighting, he can see where his leg begins and where it ends. He sees the metal prosthetic that replaces the bottom half of his left leg.

He wants to ask questions. Important questions.

But all the comes out is, "Hiccup?"

'Hiccup's' face contorts into confusion. "What-" He doesn't finish his sentence. Before Dagur can process what is happening, he has a knife in his side.

Hiccup is gone once again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's early in the morning when the ships are seen over the horizon. The village is just starting to rise when they are almost to the shore. The horn is blow, telling the village the arrival of the peaceful ships.

It's early in the morning when the ships are seen over the horizon. The village is just starting to rise when they are almost to the shore. The horn is blow, telling the village the arrival of the peaceful ships.

The villagers rush from their huts, eager to welcome their visitors. The people who walk off the ships are chiefs from the alliance. After the chiefs realized they had a new threat 4 years ago, they all started to get together and signed a Peace Treaty. Some were harder to convince than others were. Some chiefs said that they didn't want any apart of this new "war". Even if this so called "war" only seemed to be one man against this rapidly forming alliance.

So those islands never joined the alliance, preferring to stand alone and away from the fight. It took some time, but Stoick came to realize that not all tribes were as accustomed to fighting than the other tribes. So he didn't push any farther. It would only cause more problems down the road.

However, just because some tribes denied the treaty, doesn't mean that the alliance is weak. It's actually the opposite. The tribes that accepted the offer, they all have strong warriors. Though Stoick knows he won't need a thousand men and women this time. And besides, the last time they were ending a war, they needed more than just warriors.

Stoick is in front of the large crowd when the chiefs walk off their ships. The first person to approach him is a tall and strong looking woman. Her fiery red hair is all Stoick needs to see to know that this is Smulder Frostbear, chief of Chilblain. Her father, Hagan Frostbeard, was formerly chief. But his daughter rightly won the chief status from him.

Stoick briefly knows of her relationship with Gobber. It has been told that she developed romantic feeling for him, but Goober couldn't say the same for her. Though now, they are really good friends. So Stoick can thank Gobber for convincing her to join the alliance.

"Hello Stoick. It is good to see you again. Though I wish it was under better circumstances." Smulder says, standing in front of Stoick.

"Aye. I wish it was too. But not to worry, this will all be sorted in a matter of time," Stoick states and gestures to the direction of the Great Hall. "But for now, you can rest in the Great Hall. I now it must've been a long journey here."

Smulder nods and a small smile crosses her face. "Alright. And if you see Gobber, will you tell him that an old friend would like to see him?"

Stoick nods. "I'll make sure to tell him." And with that, Smulder walks off. He greats the rest of the tribes until he comes across Alvin. He was previously know as Alvin the Treacherous. He was also set on getting revenge on Berk for banishing him all those years ago. But certain events came and gone and Alvin had gained Stoick's trust again.

When they first became alliances, both tribes had been weary and cautious of the other. Berk more than the Outcasts, who still seemed to have some hatred left for Berk. However, as time went on, and the islands realized that they weren't going to get raided anytime soon, they finally learned to trust the other.

"Stoick! Good to see you again, old friend. It's been awhile, ain't it?" Alvin greeted Stoick. Alvin holds out his hand and Stoick doesn't hesitate to shake his hand. "How are you doin'? Considering everything that has happened."

"Well, I wish things were working out better. But I hope to be able to once this meeting is settled." Stoick sighs.

"Aye. Well, I hope to catch up with you soon. It seems you have things you need to settle." Alvin's face contorts, seeming to hide his mirth. Stoick grows confused, as he doesn't seem to understand what is amusing Alvin. That is until he catches a whiff of smoke. His suspicions arise, knowing quite possibly what the cause of the smoke is.

Alvin starts back to his ship while Stoick makes his way up the dock. For the second time, Stoick is stopped by his name being called. He turns back around, seeing Alvin looking back at him, all amusement gone.

"I know I've said this when it was the most current, but I am sorry about your boy Hiccup. I know these times must not be bringing up pleasant memories. We all mourn the boy, even though most of us don't seem like it, we all miss him." Alvin says sorrowfully. It isn't often when Alvin shows vulnerability, but during those rare moments, Stoick can tell that he is sincere. Learning from his mistakes, Stoick knows that what someone may look like on the outside doesn't always resemble what is inside.

Stoicks nods at Alvin and he starts making his way back to the village, knowing that if the twins aren't found soon, they will cause more damage to the village than they already have.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When he comes to, he is in a place that is unfamiliar. He is in a house that isn't his own. That alone is enough to tell him that something is horribly wrong. It isn't until that he tries to sit up that he realizes that he can't see through is right eye. He reaches up to feel across the right side of his face when the door to the hut opens, revealing a middle-aged man with graying hair and fierce hazel eyes. Seeing that his patient is now awake, the man hobbles across the room, a cane tapping the ground as he gets closer.
> 
> 0~0~0
> 
> [The Lonely](https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=88&v=HO4e4nCYBEo) by Christina Pierre

**_FIVE YEARS AGO_ **

The smoke was thick. So thick that you would get lost in the middle because you lose your sense of direction. But that didn't stop one individual. He stumbles through, blind. He coughs as he breathes in smoke, but that doesn't deter him. He has to find him, make up for his mistakes. Make sure he is alive. Make up for all the times that he didn't care enough to make sure that he was happy.. All those years of neglect and disdain.

They all said his son was a mistake, but the real mistake was doing nothing to prove otherwise. And not just proving the village wrong. H didn't prove to his son that he was loved and he actually was cared for, no matter what the village said.

"Hiccup!" he yells, desperate for a response. But none comes. "Hiccup! Where are you?" Nothing.

He stumbles, searching any sign for a downed dragon with his rider. He knows what that dragon means to Hiccup. These last few days have shown him the truth. And he was a fool for not listening.

"Hiccup!" He yells once more, his hope wavering. "Hiccup." His name leaves his mouth, but this time its as crushed as his hope for finding his son. He falls to his knees in despair.

What has he done?

_0~0~0_

When he comes to, he is in a place that is unfamiliar. He is in a house that isn't his own. That alone is enough to tell him that something is horribly wrong. It isn't until that he tries to sit up that he realizes that he can't see through is right eye. He reaches up to feel across the right side of his face when the door to the hut opens, revealing a middle-aged man with graying hair and fierce hazel eyes. Seeing that his patient is now awake, the man hobbles across the room, a cane tapping the ground as he gets closer.

"How are you feeling?" The name asks. He walks to the chair next to the bed that Hiccup occupies and takes a seat. Hiccup looks at him, confusion showing clearly in his eyes.

"I've been better." Hiccup voice is hoarse and his throat feels dry. He frowns in discomfort. The man sees this and hands him a cup with water. Hiccup doesn't hesitate when taking the cup and downs the water. The man rests his hand on Hiccup's wrist, lowering the cup from his mouth.

"Easy boy. You've been out for a while. Take it easy."

Hiccup nods and sips the water then sets it down in his lap. He takes a moment to collect his thoughts before looking up at the man. "Who are you and where am I?"

The man raises an eyebrow but answers his questions anyway. "I'm Steinar, chief of the Bardes. And who might you be?"

Hiccup hesitates. His father is very well known for hi combat skills and his accomplishments as a chief. He is also well known for his disappointment of a son. Hiccup the Useless. That was his status. And now that he royally screwed up with his attempt at peace, his status is probably worse than it ever has been. It's not like that is very important to Hiccup. He accepted this a long time ago. He just doesn't like how it has reflected on his father.

Though now it seems he finally has a chance to fix his mistakes. Steinar has said that he has been out for a while. And he obviously isn't on Berk anymore. This could be a fresh start for him. If the people on Berk think he died during the battle of the Red Death, then it is one less mess for them to clean up.

With his mind made up, Hiccup looks back up at Steinar.

"My name is Bjarte."

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She feels a deep longing. She longs for something that is long gone. For someone who can't come back from the fate that was sealed for such a long time. And then that's were the guilt comes in because she knows she could've done more to prevent it. But she was too caught up in herself to help.
> 
> 0~0~0
> 
> [Let Her Go](https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=dT4A3rttrs8) by Passenger

West from the village, there is a cliff overlooking the sea. In the mornings, one can go watch the sun rise and than come back in the evening to watch it set.

Astrid sits on the edge, staring off into space. Thoughts whirl around in her head. She doesn't normally come out here in the middle of the day, but with recent events, she just wants to get away sometimes. And with chiefs from all around visiting for a meeting, she couldn't stand being in the village right now.

If she was needed, the others would know where to find her. With all that happened all those years ago, the teens all have those day when it is just too much. When their days are consumed with guilt. However, Astird is feeling more than just guilt.

She feels a deep longing. She longs for something that is long gone. For someone who can't come back from the fate that was sealed for such a long time. And then that's were the guilt comes in because she knows she could've done more to prevent it. But she was too caught up in herself to help.

Flapping of wings brings her out of her thoughts. From behind her, Stormfly squawks. Astrid doesn't turn around. She doesn't need to because when the dragon lands, the rider walks next to her and takes a seat on the ground besides Astrid.

Out of the corner of her eye, she realizes that it is Snotlout that sought her out. Neither of them say anything for a while, basking in the silence. Or as much silence as they can get with two dragons playing behind them. However, they both feel the silence is necessary because of the circumstances.

They sit there together for a moment before Snotlout speaks. "Do you think things would've been different if we weren't so... I don't know. What's the word?" He pauses, not wanting to admit the truth. However, he knows Astrid will be more than welcome to say it for him.

"Immature." She says it as a fact, not a question. They all know that it is true. They were immature and they weren't fair. Though admitting it wouldn't change anything, it definitely has helped them come to terms with the past.

Astrid also doesn't need Snotlout to say a name to know exactly what he is talking about. And she doesn't shut him done because it's not common for Snotlout to go to someone when something is bothering him. And besides, they can't ignore the issue, even if it has been years since it happened.

People in the village are too afraid to talk about it. Which is ironic because they are all vikings. It's been said that Vikings aren't supposed to be afraid of anything. It's unconventional for them.

Although, all vikings of Berk recently realized unconventional doesn't mean wrong. It's just.. different. But different isn't always bad. Sometimes its what people need to learn from their mistakes.

"Yeah. I do think things would've been different. It wasn't right what we did. We weren't fair to him." Astrid says solemnly. She glances at Snotlout. He stares off into the sea but guilt swims in his eyes.

"I wish he was still here. So I could apologize for all the things I did to him." If it were under different circumstances, Astrid would've punched Snotlout, thinking he'd gone mind. Five years ago, Snotlout wasn't one to apologize, or even to admit that he was wrong. But now here they are.

"We all do." Astrid doesn't say anything else. She knows Snotlout came to her for a reason. He knows she will give him the hard truth, whether he wants to hear it or not.

"What do you think he would've done if he was here?" He asks Astrid, finally turning to her.

Astrid sighs, thinking about her answer for a moment. Something sparks inside her. She thinks back on his words all those years ago when his bravery saved them all. "Probably something stupid."


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He did what we thought was the impossible. We have been at war with the dragons for 300 years, then this scrawny viking of a boy comes along, befriends a Night Fury of all the dragons possible, then takes down a dragon the size of a mountain. He had no reason to help us. But he did."
> 
> 0~0~0
> 
> [Something I Need](https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=8_xvWdY6Gr4) by OneRepublic

"Wait Astrid!" Snotlout yells as he hurries after her. "Do you really think that Stoick is going to allow this?"

Astrid ignores him as she weaves her way through the forest, new motivation keeps her moving towards the village, Snotlout in tow. Snotlout grabs her wrist, stopping Astrid from going any farther.

Astrid spins around, fists already in position to punch Snotlout in the face. He should know better than anyone not to grab Astrid. But the look in his eyes stops her from hitting him.

There is desperation written all over his face. She falters for a moment then lowers her fist. "Snotlout, you can't stop me from doing this."

He rolls his eyes but he looks back at her, not backing down. Her plan was foolish and would end up with her getting killed. "Astrid, you can't really think that this plan will work, can you? I know you know what that guy has done. If you go and look for him, you most likely won't come back."

Snotlout prays to himself that doubting Astrid's combat skills won't get him pummeled into the ground. He hopes that she sees his side. Astrid glares at him for a moment and Snotlout swears to himself, knowing that he will have to face her wrath.

He braces for impact but she never strikes. He timidly lefts his head and looks from behind his hands that went to cover his face. Instead of the harsh glare that he was expecting, Astrid stares off into the forest.

He waits for Astrid to speak, knowing that whatever she wants to say, he can't distract her when she is trying to put together her words. She never really was the best with words. She always succeed more in battle training. Although now that he thinks about, none of the villagers are good with their words.

"I feel like I owe it to Hiccup." Astrid speaks suddenly with a forlorn tone. "He did what we thought was the impossible. We have been at war with the dragons for 300 years, then this scrawny viking of a boy comes along, befriends a Night Fury of all the dragons possible, then takes down a dragon the size of a mountain. He had no reason to help us. But he did. And he payed for our mistakes. And he is gone now with a new threat in the horizon, yet here we are, and it seems like nothing has changed.

"And if Hiccup were here, he would do whatever it takes to make sure nobody else gets hurt. So I do have to do this. I have to do it for Hiccup. And besides if he were to come up with a plan, it would be just as stupid and crazy as this one is." A small smile crawls onto her face. It feels like it's been forever since Astrid last smiled.

Snotlout sighs, knowing that he won't win this. "I still can't let you do this alone."

"Snotlout, I swear to the gods-"

"You didn't let me finish. I won't let you do this alone. Because I am coming with you." Snotlout smirks at her.

Astrid huffs but she seems to consider it.

"C'mon, you and I both know that if you don't let me come, I'll just have to follow you. So you are stuck with me no matter what."

Astrid raises an eyebrow and gives him a curious look. "Why are you so adamant about helping me anyway? Because when this is all over, Stoick will not be happy with us for years to come. And I know you have more reasons to come then making sure I don't get killed only to get killed when we come back to face the chief."

Snotlout winces, not liking the reminder that if Stoick doesn't agree when they tell him what they are planning and then to disobey him, they will end up being dragon food. However, his determination wins out overall. " I know I haven't really shown it, but Hiccup is my cousin. No matter what I did to him. And I know that if he were still here, he would probably forgive us all even if we obviously don't deserve because that is just how he is. So this is my way of deserving said forgiveness. Even if it still won't make up for anything that has happened."

Astrid sighs, defeated. She honestly can't argue with that. "Fine. Lets go talk to Stoick."


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "May the Valkyries welcome you and lead you through Odin's great battlefield. May they sing your name with love and fury, so that we might hear it rise from the depths of Valhalla and know that you have taken your rightful place in Valhalla and may you now rest. For a great man has fallen: A warrior. A savoir. A son. A friend."
> 
> 0~0~0
> 
> [Polariod](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmjyO-r1OhA) by Imagine Dragons

**_FIVE YEARS AGO_ **

A ship slowly glides through the water. On that ship holds only one person. A person who perished far too young but was far from innocent. The person had dealt with far too much during their short existence.

A vast figure stands on the shore, watching as the boat sails further and further away. A crowd forms from behind him. And in that crowd are the people of which have come to say goodbye to whom. Dragons of all types stand tall behind the crowd, honoring the small yet brave viking whom saved them all from the evil that took their home.

The figure in the front steps forward, holding a bow and a single arrow.  Another viking walks forward, a solemn look resting upon his face. He too, along with many others, hold a bow and an arrow. He gazes out at the ship and starts reciting a speech that they know all too well.

"May the Valkyries welcome you and lead you through Odin's great battlefield. May they sing your name with love and fury, so that we might hear it rise from the depths of Valhalla and know that you have taken your rightful place in Valhalla and may you now rest. For a great man has fallen: A warrior. A savoir. A son. A friend." A tear falls from his face but he doesn't wipe it away. He lets it fall as the chief lights his arrow from a small fire.

Stoick the Vast raises his bow and arrow up to the sky. He lets go and watches it sail until it lands on the ship. Others follow his lead, more and more arrows making their way onto the ship. The ship burns, while still slowly sailing from the island from where their kin was killed.

~0~0~

Hiccup groans as he slowly puts pressure on his foot. Bright green eyes watch him with concern,  carefully looking for any signs that he may fall. Hiccup stands up straight with a determined expression. He looks over at the dragon carefully watching over him. He smiles reassuringly and takes a deep breathe, preparing himself.

He slowly takes his left foot from the ground and steps forward. However, his leg gives out and Hiccup falls towards the ground with a cry. Although, before he hits the floor, a warm, black, scaly head catches him. Hiccup smiles and pats the dragon in thanks.

"C'mon Toothless. Help me towards the door." Toothless huffs in annoyance, however, it is fond. The dragon is slow as he helps his wounded viking towards the door.

Before Hiccup can reach for the door handle, the door swings open, revealing Steinar standing in the doorway with his arms crossed. Hiccup smiles weakly and adjusts his grip on Toothless's head.

He knows he should be resting but he never liked being bed ridden. And besides, he has been laying in the bed for the past few weeks already. He wants to get out and explore. However, both Steinar and Toothless are adamant on him resting.

"Bjarte what did I tell you. You have to rest. You seemed to have taken quite a beating when we found you." Steinar says as he helps Hiccup back to the bed. Hiccup rolls his eyes at Steinar's worry. Over the past few weeks, Steinar has taken to watching over Hiccup. Keping him from gtetting into trouble. Although he wouldn't be able to get into that much trouble because the bottom half of his right leg had been replaced by a metel prosthetic and he can't see from from his right eye, thanks to the wrappings covering that side of his face and the top right of his torso.

"I know, I know. But I hate laying in bed all day. I want to get up and out of the house. I hope you know that you can't keep me here forever." Hiccup says with a smirk gracing his mouth.

The chief smiles at Hiccup's snark and he rests his left leg on the pillow. He works on taking the prosthetic off his leg and sets it out of Hiccup's reach. Hiccup frowns and Toothless laughs at his predicament. Hiccup throws Toothless a look for his lack of help, though his glare holds no venom behind it.

"Well, your leg seems to be healing nicely. So you should be glad to know that you won't be stuck in bed for much longer. However, that doesn't mean you can go flying around on your dragon all day."

Hiccup sighs and accepts his face. "Well what about my burns?"

Steinar looks up at Hiccup and seems to consider Hiccup's request. He nods and starts to unwrap the wrappings around his head. When the wrappings fall onto the bed, Hiccup opens his right eye but he doesn't see anything to his right. That worries Hiccup.

"Your burns seemed to have healed. However, because the burns were so severe, there is a lot of scar tissue. How well can you see through your right eye?"

Hiccup tries blinking a few times, hoping to be able to see thorugh his eye. But no matter how many times he tries, he can't see anything except what is on his left side.

"I can't see anything."


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astrid clenches her fists in frustration. Her reasons for wanting to go may not have been the best, but she was determined. And she can't let something like this stop her.
> 
> 0~0~0
> 
> [Dirty Paws](https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=mCHUw7ACS8o) by Of Monsters And Men

"This is foolish. You won't be participating in the search party. My final answer is no." Stoick says firmly. He stalks out of the Mead Hall. However, that doesn't deter Astrid, as both her and Snotlout follow after the chief.

"Stoick wait! This is important to me. I can't just sit around and wait for the assassin to come for us." Astrid pleads, running to catch up to the chief. Astrid can count on one hand the amount of times she has ever begged for something. And this would be the first. But this is different. This is really important to her that she helps take down the assassin. Stoick pauses briefly and turns around to face her and his nephew. He has been surprisingly quiet throughout this whole ordeal.

"No Astrid! People are already risking their lives as it is. The people on this mission are well informed of the consequences if this doesn't work out. And I don't mean to undermine your skills, but these are battle trained warriors with years of experience." Stoick takes a deep breathe, trying to keep himself in check. "I know that this is really important to you lass, but I can't let either of you come along." And with that, Stoick walks off.

Astrid clenches her fists in frustration. Her reasons for wanting to go may not have been the best, but she was determined. And she can't let something like this stop her.

"No." Astrid shakes her head and turns around to face Snotlout. "I can't just wait here. You know why I have to do this."

"Yeah, I understand. However, your not going to just be able to climb aboard the ship right before it leaves. Your going to need an actual plan." Snotlout states, a smug look crawling onto his face at the end, knowing that he is right.

"So what are we going to do then? Do you actually have a plan?" Astrid asks, crossing her arms. She can already guess what his answer is.

"Nope. Why would I make the plan?" Astrid briefly wonders why she even bothered asking him for an idea. She should've known she would have to make the plan.

Astrid huffs and stalks off into the direction of the forest. She needs to let her frustration out on some trees. However, before she reaches her destination, someone calls out to her.

"Astrid! Astrid! I need to talk to you." She identifies the person calling for her as Fishlegs. She turns around in time to see him run past Snotlout, Meatlug chasing after her rider. Astrid waits for Fishlegs to reach her, however, he doesn't talk to her right away as he is bent over, gasping and trying to catch his breath.

Astrid raises an eyebrow as she waits for Fishlegs to compose himself. When he can breathe normally again, he stands up straight and hands her a rolled up piece of parchment.

"This just came and it's really important that you read this." Astrid looks at him curiously abut takes the parchment nonetheless. Snotlout, curious about what is going on, walks up next to Astrid as she unrolls the parchment.

_Dear Astrid, Fishlegs, Snothat, and the other two:_

_I know that we have all had problems with each other in the past. And I know a lot of that is probably my fault. But I want to tell you again just how much better things have been since our two tribes have formed an alliance._

_I want to say again that I am sorry about your dear friend Hiccup. I know that you all weren't very close in the beginning, but I know that you cared about him._

_But this isn't all that I have to say._

_I know you are aware of what has been happening to the chief's of the islands in the archipelago. And I know that I was asked to join the chief's meeting this week but certain events happened that made it so I was unable to go._

_The assassin and tried to kill me a few days ago. I was not able to stop him from escaping, although I did learn something quiet shocking about him. I am going to assume that none of the other tribes know this. So I will tell you this:_

_Come meet me at my island. What I have learned is probably best not to be told over Terror Mail. I would prefer to tell you this in person._

_Therefore, when you learn about what I have to tell you, don't tell your chief. It will only cause chaos in the end._

_I will explain all of this and why I am being so cryptic when you meet with me._

_Please do not wait._


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He sits up in his bed and stretches, wincing when his joints pop. He sighs and relaxes, looking for his companion whom is currently sleeping on his slab of rock in the middle of the floor. Hiccup rolls his eyes, figuring Toothless would either still be sleeping or would be waiting for Hiccup to get out of bed so Toothless could get fed and then they could go flying.
> 
> 0~0~0
> 
> [Good Old Days](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQiR9_s97I0) by Macklemore

**_5 YEARS AGO_ **

As the sun slowly rises in the horizon, the people of the island Bardes slowly awaken. One of the people on the island, Hiccup Haddock III slowly rises from the bed. It has been a few days since he was allowed out of the house after Steinar decided his wounds were almost healed.

He sits up in his bed and stretches, wincing when his joints pop. He sighs and relaxes, looking for his companion whom is currently sleeping on his slab of rock in the middle of the floor. Hiccup rolls his eyes, figuring Toothless would either still be sleeping or would be waiting for Hiccup to get out of bed so Toothless could get fed and then they could go flying.

Toothless hated Hiccup being bed bound as much as his rider did, manly because he himself wouldn't be able to experience the joy and thrill of flying once again. Hiccup feels guilt wash over him, knowing that Toothless will never be able to fly freely by himself again, now that he has been crippled by his own rider. Granted Hiccup had his reasons for shooting him down but now his reasons feel ridiculous.

However, Toothless did manage to get Hiccup back from the fight with the Red Death. Although Hiccup will never blame Toothless for what he had to do. He did save his life after all.

With that, Hiccup swings his legs over the side of the bed, reaching for his metal prosthetic. He straps it onto the stump of his left leg. He slides closer to the edge of the bed until his feet touch the floor. (A/N Please don't say anything about the "feet" part. I meant to put that there.) He cautiously puts pressure on the prosthetic and carefully stands up from the bed. He grimaces in pain, still not used to the feeling of his oversensitive stump having weight set upon it.

He hobbles over to Toothless and gently shakes him awake. Even though Hiccup knows full well that his friend hates being woken up so early in the morning, he can't stay mad at his rider when he is being offered his breakfast.

Toothless grumbles and opens one eye, glaring at Hiccup. Hiccup smiles back at him and gestures for him to get up. Hiccup can instantly spot the moment when Toothless figures out what time it is, because said dragon is instantly awake and out the door in seconds, yelping excitedly.

Hiccup laughs and slowly follows his friend outside. Noticing that his friend is being too slow, Toothless rushes back and helps urge Hiccup faster out of the house, although still being careful not to make him fall.

Hiccup understands why Toothless is more excited today than he was any other day since Hiccup woke up from his coma after the battle with the Red Death. With his leg wound finally healed and his face and chest burns no longer blistered and hot to the touch and only remaining as damaged tissue, Steinar has finally given Hiccup permission to take to the skies once again.

If Hiccup had to guess, it has been over a two months since he has woken up from his coma. And over that period of time, he has gotten to know Steinar better. He is a kind man and he really seems to care for Hiccup, even though they haven't known each other too long.

Hiccup also hasn't told him who he really is. However, he wouldn't put it past the chief to not figure out that he is the son of Stoick the Vast, chief of Berk. All of the islands communicate with each other. Steinar had come into the house one of the days when Hiccup was actually conscious enough to hold a conversation with the chief. Stoick had sent out notices to all surrounding islands in the archipelago that his son was missing.

Toothless obviously wasn't part of the notice. And so, Hiccup assumed that his father really hasn't changed his views about dragons and decided it wasn't safe for either of them to go back to Berk. Hiccup also didn't want to assume that Steinar would hide the fact that Stoick's son was seeking shelter on his island and wouldn't notify his father. Therefore, Hiccup continues to go by the name Bjarte.

Hiccup and Toothless make their way down to the docks, greeting the people who have awoken so early in the morning and are going around, doing their daily routines. Apparently, Bardes has a relatively friendly relationship towards dragons. Most of the villagers don't have a dragon, but when there is a random dragon resting on the island, he is as welcome as new villagers. It was jarring at first for Hiccup and Toothless, based on their history, but they quickly adapted.

After Toothless is well fed, the pair take to the skies. Hiccup basks in the feeling of wind in his hair as they climb higher in the sky. Hiccup is glad he can finally just let go of his worries. After everything that has happened, he finally feels happy.

Eventually Hiccup and Toothless retire to the ground and make their way to the Great Hall. However, on their way there Hiccup sees boats in the dock with a symbol on the sail that he doesn't recognize. He pushes his way into the Great Hall and he spots Steinar talking to a broad man in full battle armor. His face is stern and hits too close to home for Hiccup.

Hiccup glances down at Toothless and slowly inches closer to Steinar and the visitor until he can hear what they are talking about.

"I never trusted you. I know that you know where he is. You're too soft to turn away a helpless runt." The man sneers at Steinar, who doesn't even flinch.

"I may have more humanity than you but I can promise that h isn't here. Haven't you heard the rumors? He never would've survived the inferno." Steinar stays calm even when the man's face slowly turns more and more frustrated when Steinar doesn't seem to cooperate.

"Lair! You are lying straight to my face! I am not a fool!" The man's face turns even more red than what is probably healthy.

Steinar sighs at his frustration and Hiccup catches his eye. He gives Hiccup a look and Hiccup notices his hand shooing him away. Hiccup looks at him confused but Steinar looks urgent that Hiccup does so, so Hiccup walks farther behind the crowd slowly gathering. Toothless looks confused but doesn't hesitate to follow Hiccup. He vaguely wonders how that man never noticed any of that. His rage must really be blinding.

"I am not lying to you. Even if he was here, I would still make sure he was in good health and he told me what he wanted. I wouldn't force he to go or do anything he doesn't want to do. I really think you should go before you stress out my people more than you already have." Besides the fact that the chief subtlety kept throwing jabs at the man, Steinar manages to stay calm throughout this whole ordeal.

The man yells in frustration and storms out of the Great Hall, yelling at his men to get all their arses back on the boats. As all the men hurry out, Hiccup seeks out Steinar, Toothless following closely behind, cooing worriedly.

"What was that all about?" Hiccup asks Steinar as soon as the crowd slowly dispersed.

Yet again, Steinar sighs, rubbing his forehead. "That was a chief from a neighboring island. His name isn't of any concern, Hiccup. He is just so very self-centered and hopes only for him to get recognition."

Hiccup sputters when Steinar speaks his unfortunate birth name. "H-Hiccup? Th-thats not my name. My name is Bjarte," Hiccup insists.

Steinar rolls his eye and looks down at Hiccup. "As I've said before: I am no fool. I'd have to be blind to not have recognized you when you were first brought to my island. But don't worry, I won't tell anyone. You are safe here." Hiccup feels relief was throughout his body, shouldering sagging. He feels weight lift from his shoulders. Toothless nudges Hiccup's hand as Steinar rests his hand on Hiccup's scarred shoulder. "Now, how about you head back to the house and rest. I know full well that you have been out all morning."

Hiccup groans, confirming his fate of being bedridden is not over.

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He isn't stupid. The man knows he didn't grow up on this island. He knows he wasn't living on this island when he was a child. There are only the chief, his commander, the guards and himself that occupy this island. This island was never a town. And he would know. On the days were he didn't have any missions, he would sneak out at night and explore the island in the dark. It had a calming effect on him. He knew this island like the back of his hand, so he was able to put together that this island has been abandoned for a long time until the chief had claimed this spot as his hideout.
> 
> 0~0~0
> 
> [Monster](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhSA9H9Iaqw) By Imagine Dragons

The dragon shrieks in fury as it is pulled out of the room and forced back into its cage. Sparks erupt from his skin but the dragon is quickly doused in water to prevent future casualties. The figure strapped down into the chair twitches and spasms from the shocks the was forced on him. His eyes focus onto the dragon until it has left the room, and he closes his eyes to block out the pain in his skull. The Commander pulls the cloth from his mouth and throws it aside. He looks over the figure on the chair, considering him for a moment, but quickly exits the room.

The two guards hurry over to the man on the chair and unstrap him. The man has slowly learned over the years to not fight back. It'll only cause him unnecessary pain. Weeks before, he wouldn't've questioned when he was punished, knowing that he deserved it because he didn't follow his directions or he failed his missions. Now however, doubts crawl towards the front of his mind. Something changed within him. And for the first time since he can remember, it scares him. Although, he can't tell the commander or the chief. It was forced into him that he must always tell then everything, no matter if it concerns any of his missions or not. They said if they weren't informed, his issues would affect his performance of his missions. And the more he fails, the worse his punishments turn out to be.

But this time is different. This time his target didn't stay down. He had failed and he was punished for it. That didn't bother him as much as what his target had said to him. He had called him Hiccup. As far as he known, he had no name. He was never addressed by a name. He was always summoned and was spoken to directly. So being addressed directly by a name, no matter how ridiculous it was, it made him pause for a moment. By then, it was already too late.

The red haired man had also been rendered familiar to him. He couldn't place why but for whatever reason, something about his made him feel bitter, but also fond.

He isn't stupid. The man knows he didn't grow up on this island. He knows he wasn't living on this island when he was a child. There are only the chief, his commander, the guards and himself that occupy this island. This island was never a town. And he would know. On the days were he didn't have any missions, he would sneak out at night and explore the island in the dark. It had a calming effect on him. He knew this island like the back of his hand, so he was able to put together that this island has been abandoned for a long time until the chief had claimed this spot as his hideout.

The man isn't sure were he came from, but he had a life before this. It may not of been the best, but anything would be better then what his life has now turned into. But his previous target looked as if he had known him. He seemed shocked when his masked had been cut off. And the man can only assume that the name he had spoken had been his own.

The man is pulled from his thoughts as he is thrown back into his room, locking behind the guards after he is left alone on the cold ground. He groans and attempts to pull himself to his hands and knees, and slowly to his feet. His legs wobble beneath him as he slowly puts pressure on his foot and metal prosthetic. He takes a deep breath and takes a shaky step towards his bed. But his left leg gives out from underneath him and his falls forward to the ground.

Pain erupts in his already pounding head and spreads across the rest of his body. Blackness slowly takes over him vision until he finally goes limp.

~0~0~

Swords clash and grunts fill the room. The man and a guard are engrossed in their fight, the yet again masked man taking down the guard. He swiped his sword at the guards feet, and the guard hits the ground, staring up at the man with slight fear in his eyes. The masked man holds his sword to the guards neck, waiting for what his fate shall be.

The chief stands by the wall, having watched the whole fight. He tilts his head and considers for a moment. He then comes to a decision. "Finish it."

The guard's head swings towards the chief, about to protest when the man's sword is thrust through his chest. He gasps out in pain, hands going up to the sword, his attempts of pulling it from his chest failing. He then goes limp on the ground, defeated, the life slowly fading from his eyes.

The chief nods and walks to the fallen guard, pulling the sword from where it lays in said guard. He looks towards the man who stares at the downed guard. "Good form. You have improved significantly. I expect to see this improve your missions exponentially. Dismissed."

The chief leaves the room, the man still staring at the guard. Behind the mask that hides most of his face, holds his slightly horrified expression as to what he has done. Normally, this kind of thing wouldn't affect him this much, but his recent mission changed something in him.

For years, he has been used to that empty feeling inside him. But now, he is feeling more and more things. And it scares him more and more about what he has become.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guard nods and leaves, leaving Dagur alone. Taking this as his chance to move, Hiccup advances towards Dagur quietly. He grabs Dagur in a headlock, his dagger against his throat. He briefly thinks it strange how Dagur doesn't fight back. But with more important things concerning him, he pushes it to the back of his mind.
> 
> He tightens his holds and speaks quietly into his ear.
> 
> "How in Thor's name do you know who I am?"
> 
> 0~0~0
> 
> [Natural](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BPfyhhv7-c) by Imagine Dragons

Astrid watches over the people on the docks from the cliff-side perch. It seems like only yesterday that Astrid was trying to comfort Hiccup after he tried to show the village the true nature of dragons. Anticipation runs through her veins for what is to come. Beside her, she notices Fishlegs fidgeting.

"Are you sure that this is a good idea? Stoick won't be happy with us if he finds out." Fishlegs says, looking over at Astrid with a fearful look in his eyes.

Astrid looks over to Fishlegs, determination leaking through every part of her being. "Fishlegs, we have to do this. Dagur knows something that will help us stop the assassin. And whatever he knows seems to be very important." Something deep down is telling Astrid that it is something more than just that, but Astrid can't quiet place what it is.

Before Fishlegs can respond, Astrid notices the twins and Snotlout running over to them. The three of them stop in front of her, and the twins look at her wild mild annoyance, yet they look curious.

"What was so important that you had to send Snotface to come get us and drag us all the way up here?" Tuffnut complains. Ruffnut nods, her eyebrows scrunching together.

"Yeah! We were in the middle of digging a boar pit. You can't just not have a boar pit." Ruffnut says exasperated.

Astrid glares at the two of them. She is so not in the mood to deal with their nonsense. She just wishes they could be a little more serious. "Will you two just shut up for just _one_ minute!" She snaps at them. Nobody says anything, as to not angry Astrid anymore than she already is.

Astrid takes a deep breath, composing herself. She looks behind her to Fishlegs and he yelps, startled. "Do you still have the letter?" He nods and starts digging around in his pouch for it. Astrid knows the moment he finds it because he makes an accomplished "Aha!" He hands it over to her and Astrid takes the letter, nodding in thanks.

She turns back to the twins, giving them the letter to read.

The three of them wait for the twins to read over the letter, until Ruffnut blurts out, "Dagur wants to meet with us!?" She looks up to Astrid for confirmation until Tuffnut smacks her upside the head, still face down to the letter.

"Shut up! I'm not done reading it." Tuffnut grumbles.

Snotlout throws his hands up in frustration and glares at Tuffnut.  "Are you serious? How long does it take to read a letter!" Astrid elbows him to get him to shut up.

Tuffnut looks up at Snotlout and glares at him. "I'm a slower reader! I bet you took even longer trying to read the letter than I am."

Astrid buts in before either of them can say anything more. "For Thor's sake, Tuffnut just keep reading the letter. Snotlout: You better shut up or it'll be more than just my elbow that will hit you." The two of them awkwardly look away. Tuffnut goes back to reading the letter.

When he finishes it, he gasps in surprise and looks up at Astrid. "Dagur was almost killed and we weren't there to see it?"

Ruffnut groans and crosses her arms over her chest. "Aw man. That would've been so cool."

Astrid can't count how many time she has rolled her eyes today, but she knows it's been too many times to count. She rubs her forehead, feeling an oncoming headache. "You guys are missing the point. Yes, Dagur was almost killed. But he said that he learned something about the assassin. He said that it was very important that we meet with him as soon as possible. And now would be the perfect time to go because Stoick will be off the island for about 2 weeks. Maybe more."

The twins glance at the other, seeming to have a silent conversation. Then they both turn to Astrid with sly grins on there faces. "Dear sister, am I hearing what I think I'm hearing?" Tuffnut asks Ruffnut.

"Oh dear brother, I think you are hearing correctly, because, I too, am also hearing it." Ruffnut says mischievously.

Finally having enough of their shenanigans, Astrid snaps "We don't have time for this! Will you two please just take this seriously?"

The twins groan in unison and Ruffnut grumbles under her breath, "always ruining all of our fun..."

Ignoring Ruffnut, Astrid continues on, "Anyway, we are all going to leave while Stoick and the others are gone. We are going to go and visit Dagur. Whatever he didn't want to mention in the letter has to be important. So, go and pack your things. We are going to leave as soon as possible." The others all nod and they make their way back to the village.

"I know you all are plannin' something. So you might as well come out and tell me now." They all freeze when they hear Gobber speak behind them. Astrid berates herself for not being more sneaky these last few days.

They all turn around to face the blacksmith. They awkwardly look to one another, not sure what to tell the viking. "Well? Are ye going to tell me or am I gonna have to get the chief?"

Before Astrid can come up with some sort of excuse, Fishlegs beats her to it. "We got a letter from Dagur earlier saying has was attacked by the assassin. He told us to met with him because he found out something important about him and he also told us that we couldn't tell the chief because it will only cause more problems." Briefly, Astrid is impressed that he was able to say all that in one breath. Then she realizes what he just revealed to Gobber.

Snotlout slaps Fishlegs's arm. "Nice going Fishface! You have any other secrets you want to tell him while you are at it?"

Gobber narrows his eyes at them, considering what Fishlegs told him. "And you guys are all going?" They all reluctantly nod. "And when are you leaving?"

"We were going to leave as soon as we were all packed and ready to go. We thought leaving while the search party was gone was the best time to leave." Astrid tells him, knowing that not telling him wasn't going to help anything.

"Hmm... Well I was just on my way to the Forge. I have a lot of orders to complete. And it recently has been keeping me busy. So I suppose that if I were to spend most of my time in the Forge, I would forget to mention this to the chief. Don't ye agree?" Gobber smirks and walks off. Shocked, the teens all turn to watch Gobber leave.

Tuffnut is the first to speak, "did that really just happen?"

0~0~0

"I'm sure you know that Dagur the Deranged wasn't killed when I sent you to kill him. And that is obviously why we had to punish you. You had failed your mission. But now, I am giving you the chance to redeem yourself. With Dagur still alive, he is a huge threat to our mission. Which is why he must be taken out. Do you understand?" The chief sternly asks the man in front of him.

"Understood sir." He responds. He was hoping for this. He needs to learn more. And Dagur could tell him what he wants to know. But he can't tell the chief this. He would be punished for this. He would be wiped. And he doesn't like getting wiped. It makes remembering things more difficult.

"Good. You are to set out immediately. He will be most vulnerable at this moment. And I am very aware that he will most likely have more guards around him. But he will be weak if you go after him. You have already wounded him. But don't let your guard down. He will most definitely fight back. Is your mission clear?"

"Yes sir."

The chief nods, satisfied. "Good. Dismissed."

He is escorted out of the room and to his chambers. He is to pack his things and make his way to kill Dagur when he is most vulnerable. And he is expected to not fail again. However, he obviously has a different agenda. And if everything goes his way, no one will have to die.

0~0~0

He arrived at the island around noon. He knows that heading into town now will make him stand out too much and then his mission would fail. And he can't risk that. He is getting too close to the truth to lose his chance now.

He silently makes his way through the trees until he has a clear view of the Great Hall. And he waits. Waits for his moment. It isn't until a while later that he finally spots Dagur. But he isn't alone. He is making his way to the Great Hall. And following him are five other people. A stocky, short black haired man, a taller but bigger built blonde haired man, a slimmer blonde haired man and what Hiccup assumes is a woman who looks a lot like the other, and another woman with a muscular but slender physic with blonde hair in a braid. And behind them all, there are four dragons following behind them: A Deadly Nadder, a Gronkle, a Hideous Zippleback, and a Monstrous Nightmare.

He focuses on the group again when the taller blonde one starts talking. "So what exactly was it that you wanted to tell us? You said so yourself, you were pretty cryptic in that letter."

Dagur smiles and leads them to the door of the Great Hall. "I will tell you shortly. Just not out here where anyone could walk by and here what I have to say. I'd rather this be kept secret. Now, please go ahead of me. I will come inside shortly." He opens the door and gestures them all inside and closes the door when the last of them are inside. Dagur remains outside, speaking to one of his guards. Dagur speaks too quietly, so Hiccup can't hear what is being said.

The guard nods and leaves, leaving Dagur alone. Taking this as his chance to move, Hiccup advances towards Dagur quietly. He grabs Dagur in a headlock, his dagger against his throat. He briefly thinks it strange how Dagur doesn't fight back. But with more important things concerning him, he pushes it to the back of his mind.

He tightens his holds and speaks quietly into his ear.

"How in Thor's name do you know who I am?"

0~0~0

**FIVE YEARS AGO**

Hiccup pats Toothless's side and guides him back down to the ground. It's around noon time and Hiccup is hungry for lunch. They start making their way back to the village, that is until Hiccup feels a prick in his neck. He stops in his tracks and Toothless looks back at him with concern in his eyes. Hiccup reaches his hand up to the spot on his neck and he finds that their is tranquilizing dart in his neck. He looks over at Toothles, they seem to get the same message.

They obviously aren't safe and they have to get to the village.

"Run Toothless!" Hiccup yells. Toothless is quick to pick Hiccup and put him on his back. The effects of the dart will start taking effect any time, making Hiccup incapable of running on his own. He also hasn't mastered running with a prosthetic yet but frankly that is the least of his worries.

They make it what seems to be a decent amount of distance through Hiccup's quickly fading mind when Toothless growls and he is thrown from the dragons back.

His body doesn't register the pain as he is quickly losing consciousnesses. He vaguely remembers his arms being bound and him being lifted off his feet before he finally blacks out.

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What happened to you?"
> 
> Hiccup doesn't reply, so Dagur can only assume that he is thinking back as far as he can. But Hiccup looks disappointed. 
> 
> "I... I don't know.“
> 
> 0~0~0
> 
> Centuries by Fall Out Boy

"How in Thor's name do you know who I am?"

After Hiccup almost killed him a few days ago, Dagur knew that Hiccup would eventually come back, looking for answers. He is naturally curious and he won't give up if he has his heart set on something. No matter how corrupted the man became, his most memorable traits still haven't changed.

And Dagur wants to help him. He needs help now more than ever. "I knew you couldn't resist to learn who you once were. I knew you would come back. Why do you think I sent my guards away?" Hiccup's forearm around his throat tenses for a moment. Dagur notices the dagger to his throat moves slightly away from his skin.

"How do you know who I am? Don't make me ask again." Hiccup threatens. Dagur can't tell if his silent threat is empty or not. He can't take any chances.

"I want to help you. I really do. But we can't talk here. Those people I was talking to before - do you remember them? - they will come looking for me soon and I don't think they'd take to kindly to the dagger being pressed against my throat." Hiccup hesitates for a moment but he releases Dagur from his headlock, but he leaves the dagger pressed against his neck.

"Where do you suggest we talk then?" Hiccup walks from behind him to face him. Seeing Hiccup again after thinking he has been dead for years is like seeing a ghost. He might as well be seeing a ghost. He hardly recognizes the man before him.

"The forest. Nobody should be in the forest at this time of day." Hiccup narrows his mismatched eyes. Dagur rolls his eyes at Hiccup's display of distrust. Though honestly, Dagur can't really blame him. He doesn't really know what Hiccup had gone through. But whatever happened to him caused him to lose trust in people. People even with humanity.

It's sad really.

"Please, if I was going to hurt you, I could've done it already. And what reason would I have for killing you?" Dagur pauses for a moment. "Well, besides the fact that you almost killed me. Which, by the way, I never though you would ever have the guts to do. So, are you going to just stand here out in the open where anyone can see you? Or are you going to come with me to get the answers you are looking for?"

Hiccup stands still, thinking. Dagur can almost see the gears turning in his messed up head. However, Dagur really isn't the person to judge someone for that. 

Finally, Hiccup lowers his arm. "Fine. Lead the way."

Dagur grins. "Gladly."

0~0~0

They make their way to a secluded area, far from the village. Dagur knows that when the teens realize that he has been gone for far too long, they will come searching for him. And being this far from the village gives Hiccup plenty of time to get back to whatever brought him here and escape. 

"So, how do you know me?" Hiccup asks again, dagger still out in the open, ready for anything unexpected. 

"Well, first I should say that you father was the chief of the island that you lived on. And we met when your father brought you along to a Peace Treaty signing on my island. Some might say that we didn't get along too well. It may or may not be mostly my fault." Hiccup eyes him, as if Dagur might attack him at any moment, but the latter doesn't move. Slowly, Hiccup relaxes into a less tense stance.

"Then why are you helping me know if you obviously hated me as a child?" Dagur winces from the accusation, though he knows that he had that coming for him. 

"Well, it was about 5 years ago that we - humans and dragons alike  -  where being threatened by a massive dragon. Your village named it the Red Death. A fitting name really. But there was one scrawny viking from that village. He did the impossible and saved as all." Hiccup only stares at him, waiting for him to continue.

"That boy was you, Hiccup. You defeated the Red Death, even after your people turned on you. But after the Queen was defeated, you went missing and was pronounced dead. However, I can clearly see now that that was not the case."

Hiccup is silent for a moment, but to Dagur's surprise, Hiccup sheaths his dagger and takes a step forward. Dagur doesn't move an inch. "Who were those people you were talking to earlier?"

Dagur knew eventually this would come up. And he knew what he would say when he was leading Hiccup out here. But seeing the look of Hiccup's face now, Dagur forgets it all.

"They were old friends. And they miss you terribly." Hiccup looks away from Dagur, his eyebrows furrowed and a frown taking place on his face.

"Now, before I say anything more, I think it's fair that I ask you something." Dagur waits for Hiccup to look back at him before he asks him his questions that has been gnawing at him since he found out Hiccup was alive. "What happened to you?"

Hiccup doesn't reply, so Dagur can only assume that he is thinking back as far as he can. But Hiccup looks disappointed. 

"I... I don't know. I can't remember much. They keep making me forget." That obviously doesn't settle right with Dagur. 

"Who is 'they'?" Hiccup doesn't respond and Dagur knows he won't gain anything if he keeps pressing on an open wound. So he tries a different approach.

"Do you remember who Toothless is?" Hiccup furrows his eyebrows, seeming confused.

"Toothless? What kind of name is that?" Dagur chuckles, he had been wanting to ask Hiccup that question for years. He has always wanted to know why he would name a dragon that has always been known as "The offspring of Lightening and Death itself" something so nonthreatening as Toothless. And the Night Fury obviously has teeth. So Dagur is at a loss.

"Trust me, I wish I knew. You were always so creative and so imaginative. I'm honestly not surprised that you came up with that name. I always just wanted to know why you did. But obviously, you can't tell me that." Noticing that the slightly lighter mood is now gone, Dagur tries one more thing. "Hiccup, please stay here. I know your friends would be thrilled to know that you are alive. They have been mourning for you ever since you disappeared. They tried looking for you for a long time. You father too, but they never found you. Please, go see them."

But his efforts are futile. Hiccup's face falls and his shakes his head. "No. I can't."

Dagur finally lets his temper raise, but only a little. It finally looks as if Hiccup trusts him, he can't ruin it all now just because Hiccup won't listen. "And why not! They think you are dead! Are you just going to let them think you died saving them? Are you not going to give them closure and show them that you are here and breathing?"

Before, if he didn't try so hard to get Hiccup to not be so tense around him, the dagger might have ended up at his neck again. But Dagur can see Hiccup physically fight off the need to defend himself against Dagur. He can see his hand twitch to were his dagger is strapped to his hip but he doesn't take it out. 

"No. I can't. I can't get them involved in this. This is my problem. It seems that I may have already gotten them in danger before, and I barely made it out. So I can't make that mistake again. It's best they think I died from that dragon. This way, none of them will get in the crossfire. And besides, even if I did go and see them, I can only assume that they would try and get me to stay too. And I can't stay any longer than tomorrow morning. The base may be five days away, but I was sent here to find you and take you out. It would've been easy. So I would have no reason to stay any longer than that. And if I don't arrive within a reasonable time then I will be punished for it. So no, I will not go see them. I can't."

He may not want to admit it, but he can see where Hiccup is going with this. But that doesn't mean he won't try and help him. He voices his thoughts.

Hiccup snaps at him though, desperation clear as day in his voice. "No! I will not let any of you sacrifice yourself for me! I got myself into this mess. Now I have to get myself out of it. I refuse to let anyone die because of me." Hiccup lowers his head and sighs. He then looks back up to Dagur and looks him right in the eye. "However, I should thank you for everything you have done for me. I know that telling me more about my past life might not seem that significant, but now I have the proper motivation to go against the chief and his brother. So, thank you Dagur."

Before Dagur can say anything, Hiccup walks closer to him. "But I need you to promise me something."

Dagur nods. "What it is?"

Hiccup turns his steely gaze to Dagur. "Promise me that you will not tell your friends that I was here. You can't tell them that I am alive." Dagur wants to protest, but Hiccup raises his hand, cutting him off. Dagur never talks kindly to being cut off, but this has been an intense afternoon. "The less they know about me being alive, the less danger they will be in. You were my target before because you allied yourself and your tribe with Stoick the Vast. And the chief thought that anyone who is an ally with him is a threat. And then when you found out who I was, that made you even more of a threat. You are in danger now that you know who I am and that I have spared you twice already. So please, in the name of Thor, do not tell them about me. You have to understand that I am trying to protect them."

Dagur hates this. But everything Hiccup says is making sense. Even though Hiccup shouldn't be doing any of this alone, he knows that he is doing this in the name of his friends. Though now he isn't too sure as to what he will tell them. Hiccup made it very clear that the best course of action is to keep this all quiet. And when this all goes down hill, and they all realized that Dagur has withheld this information, the teens will not be very happy with him. 

Especially Astrid. He knows how much Hiccup means to her. When she finds out, there is a very high probability that she punch him in the face for lying to her. And he has been on the receiving end of her punches more times then he would like to admit. 

Reluctantly, Dagur nods. Hiccup lets out a breath of relief. "Thank you again Dagur. For everything." And with that, Hiccup disappears into the tree line.

Dagur stares at the spot where Hiccup disappeared, processing everything that had happened and what is to happen. With Hiccup not wanting him to tell his friends that he is alive causes an issue for Dagur. And he can't go back on his word. He just got Hiccup to trust him. The trust may be weak and very fragile, but it's there. Dagur can't break that trust. Everything from here on out determines what will happen to Hiccup when this is all over.

And it all begins with what he is to tell his friends. Dagur sighs, and he starts making his way back to the village.

Hidden in the trees, prying eyes watch the chief leave. The hidden man smirks. He looks over to his dragon, giving a silent command. The dragons growls and flies off into the darkening sky.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tired of waiting around, Astrid stands up from the table and starts towards the doors, ignore the surprised yelps of the others. She hears the others stand from the table and hurrying to catch up to her. "Wha-what are you-? Astrid where are you going?" Fishlegs asks, putting his hand on Astrid's shoulder to stop her. Normally, Fishlegs wouldn't dare to touch Astrid, but considering the circumstances he will take a knee to his gut if it means Astrid doesn't do something unnecessary.

Astrid huffs, annoyed, as the twins stuff their faces. Dagur had offered them his hospitality and the twins were taking full advantage of it. As she watches them, she slowly grows more irritated. But that's not the reason why Astrid's patience is running thin; Dagur had told them to wait in the Mead Hall as he takes care of some last minute things; he would then come back to tell them about what he knows. But Dagur hasn't come back yet and Astrid can't help but start to feel anxious.

Tired of waiting around, Astrid stands up from the table and starts towards the doors, ignore the surprised yelps of the others. She hears the others stand from the table and hurrying to catch up to her. "Wha-what are you-? Astrid where are you going?" Fishlegs asks, putting his hand on Astrid's shoulder to stop her. Normally, Fishlegs wouldn't dare to touch Astrid, but considering the circumstances he will take a knee to his gut if it means Astrid doesn't do something unnecessary.

Astrid whirls around and slaps Fishleg's hand off her shoulder, but she doesn't snap at him like she might've done a few years ago. Astrid takes a breath and looks at her friends. "I don't want to just sit here for hours waiting for Dagur to come back. He knows something about the assassin, something that might end up with a war between the tribes. So I'm going to go find him, with or without you guys." She pauses and stares at the others, waiting for some sort of response.

They don't say anything for a moment, but Fishlegs is the first to speak. "Fine. I have a bad feeling anyway just sitting around here."

Snotlout rolls his eyes. "You always get a "bad feeling". Lighten up Fishface, he did say that there were some last minute things he had to do. He probably also wanted to get air."

Tuffnut's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why would he have to go outside for air when their is plenty of air in here?"

"Bro, you may have those rare moments of brilliance, but this is not one of them." Ruffnut says, exasperated.

"Are you guys going to come with me or not?" Astrid asks impatiently. When she sees them all nod, Astrid turns back around and walks out the doors. She hears the others following close behind her as they walk down the stairs.

The sun has already set while they were waiting for Dagur to come back, so Astrid grabs a lantern from Stormfly's saddle pouch. Stormfly coos at her rider and Astrid scratches her. When they arrived to Beserker island, Dagur said that their dragons are free to roam, trusting that they won't cause any damage. He did, however, mention that the twins will need to be supervised. Dagur isn't stupid; he knows that the moment the twins are alone, something is going to be blown up.

Astrid never fought him on it, knowing full while what the twins are capable in a short period time of being around anything that explodes. Or something that doesn't explode.

They don't make it far before they spot Dagur making his way towards them. Through the dark and the limited light that the lantern provides, Astrid notices that Dagur looks troubled. Glancing back towards the others, she makes her way over to Dagur. He looks up when the light from the lantern comes into his line of sight.

Dagur masks his troubled expression into something more peaceful and calm. But Astrid can see the conflict swimming in his eyes. Astrid knows that something happened but she can't decide on what it could be that would trouble Dagur so much.

When Dagur reaches the group, he puts a smile on his face that Astrid instantly sees through. She narrows her eyes at him and Dagur catches her assessing gaze. He falters for a moment but he collects himself just as quickly.

"Hello friends, I was just on my way back to you. But you didn't need to come looking for me. Everything's okay." Dagur says, trying to sound reassuring, but fails. He is usually very good about not wearing his emotions on his sleeve, but something definitely happened for him to fail at it now.

"Dagur, you don't need to lie. We all can tell that something happened." Astrid tries to keep an open expression, hoping that Dagur will tell them what had happened, but it doesn't seem to work as he essentially closes himself off.

"No, this is something I must deal with by myself for the time being. I'm sorry that I asked you guys to come all this way, but something did come up. And I can't tell you what it is, for all your safety." Dagur pauses and looks at Snotlout. "Even Snothat."

Said man splutters indignantly; he then huffs and crosses his arms in irritation.

Ignoring Snotlout, Astrid glares at Dagur. "So what, you aren't going to tell us what you know of the assassin? You're just going to let us leave with us knowing anything that could potentially stop him?" Dagur doesn't say anything so Astrid continues on. "And we don't need you to protect us. We aren't some dumb 15 year olds anymore! We can handle tough things! So why don't you man up and tell us what it is that you needed to tell us."

Dagur doesn't give in to her anger. Instead, he looks at them with guilt in his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you." And with that, Dagur walks past them, making his way back to the Mead Hall. Astrid is about to go after him but Ruffnut puts a hand on her shoulder, yet again stopping Astrid.

They all watch Dagur as he walks into the Mead Hall, the doors slamming shut behind him.

"Come on," Snotlout says, interrupting the thick silence hanging in the air, "Let's go find a place to sleep."

Astrid sighs, shoulders falling in defeat. "Fine. Lets go."

However, before they can do anything, someone hiding in the dark night shoots tranquilizer darts at all five of them. Startled, Astrid grabs at her neck, pulling out the dart. They others do they same, looking at each other in alarm.

Astrid desperately tries to find the source the dart came from, but black spots quickly envelope her vision. She stumbles, falling to her knees.

The last thing she she before she loses consciousness is two pairs of feet walking towards them.

Then everything fades away.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time has unfortunately ran out for Hiccup when he hears footsteps coming down the passage. Hiccup swears under his breath and hurries to get out of sight as the light from a torch grows brighter. He goes to the nearest wall and hides behind one the tables that are placed nearby. The men that are making their way down the hallway finally emerge in the entrance of the room.

Hiccup walks through the pathways in the underground base, feeling more conflicted than he can ever remember. But that isn't saying much, considering that his past memories are still extremely foggy. But after the talk that he had with Dagur, Hiccup's mind feels more clear that it has felt in years.

When he gets to the impasse, his steps falter for a minute. He feels as if something is pulling him to go down the second passage. He was given strict orders to never step foot in that passage or his punishments would become more intense. His punishment for failing his mission is already going to be brutal. He isn't positive that if he disobeys his orders that the chief will have any remaining patience for him.

Before he continues on his path, an echo bounces off the passage walls. Hiccup recognizes it as a dragon's roar. But he isn't sure what dragon it would be. However, something about is familiar, and Hiccup can't place why it is. He thinks back to what Dagur had told him. He had mentioned the name Toothless but he had never stated who or what this "Toothless" is.

Hiccup doesn't move for a moment, contemplating whether or not he should ignore direct orders. He glances down the light passageway that leads him to the chief and his commander. How much time does he have left before they start wondering where he is and why he hasn't shown up yet?

He turns back to the dark path, mind made up. He slowly starts walking down the path, hesitant, but he slowly grows more confident and walks a little more quickly down the passage. Hiccup takes out one of his hidden knives when he sees the end of the passage, expecting some of the chief's men but finding none.

Instead, what he finds is a cage. A very large cage. The dark doesn't help Hiccup determine what lies in the cage, but he still walks closer, hoping to catch a glimpse as to what is behind the metal bars. Hiccup was careful to not make a sound as he came down the passage, but that doesn't seem to matter anymore when big and bright green eyes appear right in front of the bars. A low growl comes from the dragon; a warning. But something about those eyes calms Hiccup's raising nerves. And that feeling of calm somehow trails back to that dragon.

They stare at one another, unflinching. Hiccup knows this dragon. Something about the dragon makes Hiccup feel more calm, more at peace and less tortured by past events.

The dragon seems to finally realize who stands before him as his eyes widen. However, he seems to realize that it is only one-sided and the human can't place why this dragon is familiar.

Time has unfortunately ran out for Hiccup when he hears footsteps coming down the passage. Hiccup swears under his breath and hurries to get out of sight as the light from a torch grows brighter. He goes to the nearest wall and hides behind one the tables that are placed nearby. The men that are making their way down the hallway finally emerge in the entrance of the room.

"Are you sure you saw someone walking down this passage?" The man holding the torch asks the other man. The man glares at the accusing look the other man.

"Yes I'm sure, Krogan. What reason would I have to lie about this? You know that nobody, but those who were assigned here, are to step foot in this room."

Krogan narrows his eyes at him. He turns back to the entrance and starts walking out of the room. "I don't have time for this. We just got new captors this morning and I need to help get everything ready." He stops and turns to stare at the other man, a menacing glare thrown at him, "I can't have your failure ruining our plans." And with that, he walks out of the room.

The man groans and rubs his head. After a moment, he follows after Krogane, leaving Hiccup hidden in the shadows.

He waits a moments, making sure that they won't come back, and crawls out of his hiding spot. He glances back at the cage, and catches the dragon staring at him yet again. Knowing not to waste anymore time, Hiccup looks away from the dragon and follows the way that Krogan and the guard came and left from.

Hiccup ignores the pull and makes his way down the lit passage.

___________

Electricity courses through his body.

Its agonizing.

_"Where did Hiccup go wrong?"_

_"He showed up"_

_"He didn't get eaten"_

_"He's never where he should be"_

Never in the right place. Never fits in.

_"Figure out which side your on"_

What side am I on? I can't remember.

_"All those years of the of worst viking Berk has ever seen!"_

_"Odin, it was rough. I almost gave up on you!"_

Disappointment.

_"You've done it, Hiccup! You get to kill the dragon!"_

Unworthy.

_"That's for the lies"_

_"And that's for everything else"_

I deserve this.

_"I can finally show my face in public again!"_

Embarrassment.

_"Stop the fight"_

Don't you trust me?

_"I SAID STOP THE FIGHT!"_

Why don't you trust me?

_"So everything was a trick? A lie?"_

I'm sorry.

_"You've thrown your lot in with them"_

_"Your not a viking"_

_"You're not my son"_

I know. I'm sorry.

_"It's a mess"_

Wait.

_"You must feel horrible"_

_"You've lost everything"_

_"Your father"_

_"Your tribe"_

_"Your best friend"_

I know this person.

_"I want to remember what you say right now"_

You heard me.

_"First to ride one though"_

You believed in me.

_"That's more like it"_

"Astrid."

___________

When Astrid wakes up, she is in an unfamiliar place. Her head throbs as she pushes herself up from the cold stone ground. Looking around in the dark room, she takes notice of the metal bars on the wall, trapping her inside, what is rightfully to be assumed, a cell. She spots movement to her right and goes to grab her axe that should be strapped to her back, but when she lifts her arms, she realizes that her wrists are cuffed together. Even if she weren't cuffed, her axe isn't strapped to her back. She bristles at the thought that someone has taken her axe.

Astrid gets into a defensive position, preparing for an attack. Instead, she hears a groan from the person locked in the cell with her. She narrows her eyes, moving closer to the person on the ground. Her eyes widen when she realizes who the person is.

"Snotlout?"

Snotlout groans yet again and turns towards Astrid. He smiles at her weakly and pushes himself into a sitting position. "The one and only." He looks around the cell. "Where are we?"

Astrid sits down as well. "I'm not sure. I just woke up but I can't remember how we got here." She startles when she remembers who they were with. "Where are the others?" She exclaims, frantically looking around the dim cell, using the little light the torch on a far wall, outside the cell, provides.

Her shoulders sag when she spots Tuffnut, Ruffnut, and Fishlegs all slumped on the wall facing the cell door. "Oh thank Thor." Astrid breaths out in relief. She was afraid that whomever had kidnapped them had also separated them as well. At least now she knows that they are all more or less okay and they are all together.

Fishlegs is the next one to awaken, immediately panicking when he realizes that they have been kidnapped and that there dragons aren't in the cell with them.

Astrid sighs. "I doubt they hurt the dragons. They obviously want us for something. It wouldn't be wise to hurt them." Fishlegs seems to calm down marginally when he hears this. "But don't worry, we will get out and we will get our dragons back."

Tuffnut tries to lighten the mood a little bit when he mentions how this is the third time that they have been kidnapped in the last few years. And Astrid must've been on dragon nip or something because she does not remember the first two times.

Astrid gives Tuffnut a strange look. "We have never been kidnapped before. Stoick never let us off the island by ourselves for anything remotely dangerous after everything that has happened."

Ruffnut looks at him confused. "Don't you remember those other times when Dagur kidnapped us?" She looks at her brother for support and he nods in agreement.

Snotlout scoffs. "We weren't kidnapped. We went along with Stoick to a chief meeting. You idiots were causing mayhem, as usual, and Dagur put you in cells for the remainder of the time that we were there." Snotlout says. "Stoick was not happy with you guys." He winces at the memory.

The twins look at each other for a moment, before they start cackling at their antics. Astrid rolls her eyes and stands up. She walks to the metal bars, and she pushes on the cell door, even though she knows that they would never leave their kidnapped victims in an unlocked cell.

However, if their kidnappers were too incompetent to lock the cell, it would be best to check anyway. Knowing that all they can do is wait, Astrid sits back down on the ground, back leaning against the wall.

Astrid isn't sure how long they have been waiting in the cell. Tuffnut and Ruffnut convinced themselves that there was a secret door hidden somewhere in the cell. They spent a good hour or so trying to prove their theory was correct. But when they couldn't find the "secret door", they had sat back down.

Nobody had came to check up on them since they've woken up so they haven't been able to make a break for it yet. None of them have their weapons, thus preventing them from planning any further escape.

But when two figures, one burly man with a small scar on the light side of his face; a bald head; and a black mustache and beard, the other man slightly shorter than the other; with short black hair and a beard, enter the room holding a torch, all five of them stand to face their supposed kidnappers.

The men stop just in front of the cell doors, the shorter man has a smug look on his face as he observes the five of them.

"I see you all have woken up. I would like to welcome you all here but I feel like the circumstances aren't the best." The black haired man says.

"Tell us why you kidnapped us." Astrid demands. She isn't one to deal with the arrogant attitude that this man has. Years of spending everyday in the presence of Snotlout proved this.

"Now now, lets not get ahead of ourselves." he says, raising his hands placating. "I do, however, feel introductions are in order."

He gestures to the bald man behind him. "This is my commander and my brother, Ryker." He then gestures to himself. "I am the chief of the base, but you can call me Viggo."

**Author's Note:**

> I own absolutely nothing...


End file.
